Soccer-Euro-Italian job needed by Spain as title defence begins

June 09, 2012|Reuters

By Tom Pilcher

WARSAW, June 10 (Reuters) - Spain begin their mission tobecome the first nation to retain the European title when theytake on Italy in Gdansk on Sunday.

Vicente del Bosque's world champions have played the mosteye-catching football in the world over the past four years andthey will be fancied to beat an Italy side who arrived in Polandhaving lost three consecutive friendlies.

The two European heavyweights meet for a 26th time (1600GMT) knowing the last time they clashed Italy ran out 2-1winners in Bari in August.

Italy's centurion goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said on theeve of the match that they were here to cause a surprise soSpain have been warned.

However the four-times world champions preparation has beendogged by poor results and another match-fixing scandal backhome, making it unlikely that Italy will venture too far fromtheir stubborn defensive formula.

In the other Group C match on Sunday underdogs Ireland faceCroatia in Poznan (1845).

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic called their opponent's style ofplay "simple" on Saturday before saying his side were notcapable of surprising Ireland themselves.